Fag Off!

Nanny's lackeys in Conwy council achieved something of a double whammy the other day. They managed to slap a fine on a guy not just for smoking in his lorry cab, but also for littering.

Result!

Not only that, but the council lackey that reported the hapless driver was in fact a council dog warden.

What an effective and clever use of resources!

Leonard King was the hapless victim of Nanny's spy culture that has now firmly taken root in our unloved and untrusted local councils. Mr King was having a fag in the cab of his lorry (parked I would hasten to add), which carried a no smoking sign, unfortunately one of Nanny's paid spies (a dog warden) was watching him.

Mr King was in breach of Nanny's recent rules about smoking in an enclosed space that others workmates use. Quite how some stale fag fumes in a cab will harm the next driver is somewhat medically suspect, in my humble view. However, Nanny does not worry about medical facts. Having been spotted smoking, Mr King then compounded his offence against the state by flicking some ash and the fag butt out of the window.

The dog warden immediately noted that down as well, as a littering offence.

Mr King was issued with fixed penalties for smoking illegally in his cab and for littering. Llandudno magistrates fined him £75 and imposed additional charges of £30 for investigative costs, £65 for legal costs and a £15 victim (what victim?) surcharge.

The £75 litter penalty, which he had already paid, took the final bill to £260.

A spokesman for the council in Conwy said its three dog wardens were spearheading the enforcement of smoking laws, and had issued four fixed-penalty notices.

I am sure they must feel very proud of themselves!

Errmm...aren't these guys meant to be dealing with dog related issues?

Doesn't this kind of prove what people have long suspected, namely that council employees are being used to spy on the local population?

The good news is that Conwy will soon give police community support officers the job of chasing smokers, so that's alright then.

Be careful what you do and what you say, the person next to you may work for the local council!

Nanny Bans Donkey Derby

Oh dear, another summer treat for the kids has been kybosched (spelling???) by Nanny.

That ancient seaside/rural summer ritual of the donkey derby has been banned by Nanny's minions in Llandudno.

The donkeys were due to be ridden by around 40 children the other week at a series of races organised by Llandudno Rugby Club, a regular event in Llandudno.

Well, it was regular until Nanny stuck her size tens into the matter. The donkeys were replaced by blow-up sheep and a toy monkey...yes, you did read that correctly!

For why?

Our good old chums related to the health and safety Gestapo felt that the event was just too dangerous.

I would observe that it is the same type of people from the health and safety Gestapo that accredited a certain animal vaccine lab in the South of England with a safety certificate...this would be the same lab that is now suspected of leaking the foot and mouth disease...oh, and it is the same lab that is now being paid by Nanny to produce the vaccine to cure the disease...lucky it has a certificate then, otherwise we would all be in a right old pickle!

Anyhoo, I digress.

The harmless 30 second races, organised by Llandudno Rugby Club, have taken place in North Wales for the last 39 years without nay serious incident. Unfortunately, Nanny's ultra caution now means that the event has to be covered by public liability insurance.

Have you noticed how, when a local authority wants to ban something, it simply trots out the tired old mantra of "public liability insurance"?

This has become the catch all excuse for banning all manner of events and activities.

Funny that isn't it?

Anyone suspect that this excuse is in fact a load of old bollocks, dreamt up by our useless and interfering local councils to stop us living our lives in the way that we want to?

Has anyone actually bothered to take the insurance companies to task, and get them to explain clearly how they come up with their often ludicrous quotes for insurance relating to public events...it usually revolves around the sum of £5M.

The councils, had they a mind too, have the time and the "skills" (I never thought that I would use that word in relation to a council) to do just that. Yet they don't...why is that then?

Robin Holden, the rugby club chairman, said:

"We asked insurers if they could give us cover

for kids racing on donkeys – but they wouldn't touch it."

Tossers!

Seemingly the insurance company excuse is that if a kid falls off the donkey, his/her parents would sue.

Brian Bertola, who helps organise the donkey derby, said:

"The donkeys are used to having children on them,

the speed is negligible,

the kids wear helmets and it's over a short distance.

It's crazy."

We as a society do have ourselves to blame here:

1 We allow insurance companies to screw us royally

2 We sue for the slightest little thing at the drop of a hat

3 We allow local councils to lord it over us.

Although it seems, on the face of it, the local council were not directly involved with this; I can't but help feel had they been a bit more "helpful" (eg ask the insurance companies some pointed questions) a solution could have been found.